This program is open to everyone! While it is encouraged, you do not need to be a NRA member to participate.
There is no fee to participate in the program but plates, targets, patches and award packets do cost fee's and are available for purchase. See below to find out more.

Qualification shooting is an informal, year-round recreational shooting activity that provides incentive awards for developing and improving marksmanship skills. It's a drill. We set the standards; you meet the challenge! Progression is self-paced and scores are challenging but attainable. Performance is measured against established par scores and any shooter who meets or exceeds those scores is entitled to the corresponding recognition awards for that rating. It's an honor system!

Shooters acquire the large discipline patch at the onset of the program and as each rating is earned, they are entitled to all of the corresponding awards for the rating. Each rating level has a skill rocker, medal, and certificate award that recognizes and highlights the achievement.

The courses of fire in the qualification program are designed to take shooters from beginning skill levels (Pro-Marksman, Marksman) through intermediate levels (Marksman 1st Class, Sharpshooter, Expert) up to a nationally recognized skill level -- Distinguished Expert -- the pinnacle of the program. By the time a shooter completes the Distinguished Expert rating, he or she has attained a proficiency level paralleling that of a competitively classified Sharpshooter.

PDF - Score Sheet Handgun Qualification uses the 2nd score sheet. The one without the multiple bars for Sharpshooter.

Note from RoundEye (CGSSA Director / LA Chapter Leader):

Quote:

We received confirmation today from the NRA Program Coordinator, and all of the qualifications must be done in the same caliber (.22lr, 9mm, .40, .45, ...), and action (revolver, auto loader, ...) So if you start with .22lr Derringer, you need to finish it with .22lr Derringer or another .22lr with the same action. However, if you have a malfunction we can switch guns as long as its the same caliber.

To complete the whole qualification of Basic Pistol it takes 570 rounds minimum to shoot, so take that into consideration!
Using 22LR rimfire is advised!

Please Scroll Down to the Posts Below to find out about the Targets, Awards, and the Courses of Fire.

(If you do not use the extra 2 AP-2 targets from each rank then you will have the 6 targets needed for Distinguished Expert)
Alternate AP-1 Targets are available they are much larger then the AP-2 but are shot at double the distance 30 feet vs 15. They are a dollar each and are in limited supply.

You must successfully complete each and every rank in order to be eligible for the award package and move onto the next rank!
In other words no skipping Pro-Marksman for example.
The only rank that can be skipped is Basic Practical.

Basic Practical
- You must complete a certified NRA course to receive this rocker. *Note: This is not a Required Prerequisite. Only an additional "Rocker Patch" available to you if you have completed such a course.

Pro-Markman
- Position: Benchrest, two hands.
- Distance: 15 feet
- Target: 9" Paper Plates
- Time: No Restriction
- Course of Fire & Rating Requirement: Shoot 10 plates with five shots on each plate. All shots must be inside a 1/2" margin from the edge of the plate.
- The 10 plates do not have to be fired in succession or on the same day.

9" Paper Plate
Shots Inside 1/2” Margin on Plate

Example score sheet and clif notes:

Marksman
- Position: Standing, two hands.
- Distance: 15 feet
- Target: 9" Paper Plates
- Time: No Restriction
- Course of Fire & Rating Requirement: Shoot 10 plates with 10 shots on each plate. All shots must be inside a 1 1/2" margin from the edge of the plate.
- The 10 plates do not have to be fired in succession or on the same day.

9" Paper Plate
Shots Inside 1 1/2” Margin on Plate

Example score sheet and clif notes:

Marksman First Class
- Position: Standing, two hands with strong and week side stages.
- Distance: 30ft (AP-1), or 15ft (AP-2)
- Target: NRA AP-1 or AP-2 precision target.This is conducted in two stages. Both stages must be completed in one session to qualify as one completed course of fire.Stage One: Strong Side - Five targets with 10 shots each in 6 minutes per target.Stage Two: Weak Side - Five targets with 10 shots each in 6 minutes per target.* Alternating Strong and Weak Side Targets. So you cannot shoot all strong side and then all weak side.
- A total of 10 shots per target. Possible score per target 100.
- Course of Fire & Rating Requirement: Shoot 10 targets, 5 with a score of 46 or better, and 5 with a score of 56 or better.
- The ten targets do not have to be fired in succession or on the same day.

Sharpshooter
- Position: Standing, ready, with two hands, and strong and week side stages.
- Distance: 30ft (AP-1), or 15ft (AP-2)
- Target: NRA AP-1 or AP-2 precision target.This is conducted in two stages. Both stages must be completed in one session to qualify as one completed course of fire.Stage One: Strong Side - Five shots in 20 seconds.Stage Two: Weak Side - Five shot in 20 seconds.* Both the Strong 5 shots and the Weak 5 shots go onto the same target.
- A total of 10 shots per target. Possible score per target 100.
- Course of Fire & Rating Requirement: Shoot 10 targets, 5 with a score of 60 or better, and 5 with a score of 65 or better. The ten targets do not have to be fired in succession or on the same day.

Example score sheet and clif notes:

Expert
- Position: Standing, ready, one hand with strong and week side stages.
- Distance: 30ft (AP-1), or 15ft (AP-2)
- Target: NRA AP-1 or AP-2 precision target.This is conducted in two stages. Both stages must be completed in one session to qualify as one completed course of fire.Stage One: Strong Side, 1 Hand - Five shots in three minutes, and five shots in 10 seconds.Stage Two: Weak Side, 1 Hand - Five shots in three minutes, and five shots in 10 seconds.* Stages are shot on different targets but the two targets are added up for one score.
- A total of 20 shots (10 per target). Possible score 200.
- Course of Fire & Rating Requirement: Shoot two times over the course with a minimum score of 130 or better and three times over the course with a minimum score of 150 or better. The number of courses does not have to be fired in succession or on the same day.

Example score sheet and clif notes:

Distinguished ExpertFiring for the Distinguished Expert Rating must be witnessed by an NRA Member (with current ID number), or an NRA Instructor or Coach (with current ID number).
The NRA Club# for CGSSA is "B89798".Distinguished Expert Report Form

- Position: Standing, ready, with two hands, strong and week side stages.
- Distance: 30ft (AP-1), or 15ft (AP-2)
- Target: NRA AP-1 or AP-2 precision target.
- Target Setup: AP-1: One target hung at 30ft with the top edge of the target at eye level. AP-2: One target hung a 15ft with the top edge of the target at eye level.This is conducted in four stages; the four stages must be completed in the same session to qualify as one completed course of fire.
- Stage One: 5 Shots, Strong Side, 2 Hands in 10 seconds.
- Stage Two: 5 Shots, Strong Side, 1 Hand in 10 seconds.
- Stage Three: 5 Shots, Weak Side, 2 Hands in 10 seconds.
- Stage Four: 5 Shots, Weak side, 1 Hand in 10 seconds.
- Course of Fire & Rating Requirement: Shoot three times over the course with a minimum score of 145, and three times over the course with a minimum score of 170 or better. The number of courses does not have to be fired in succession or on the same day.* Minimum of 6 courses of fire

__________________The above is not legal advice. It is just something you read from some dude on the internet. It does not reflect the opinion of Calguns.net. If it seems rude it was probably meant to read sarcastically.

__________________The above is not legal advice. It is just something you read from some dude on the internet. It does not reflect the opinion of Calguns.net. If it seems rude it was probably meant to read sarcastically.

Rankings Updated!
I'm very excited about the level of participation we are having.
It is great to see so many people have completed Pro-Marksman and Marksman.

__________________The above is not legal advice. It is just something you read from some dude on the internet. It does not reflect the opinion of Calguns.net. If it seems rude it was probably meant to read sarcastically.

"Laws that forbid the carrying of arms...disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed one.
--Thomas Jefferson

Quote:

Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies. --Groucho Marx

It is!
I will be shooting for Expert on Friday at RMR!
And if that goes well then I will probably attempt Distinguished Expert at the RISR shoot in a couple weeks.

Exciting news everyone, we have the main patches and award kits in stock now!

We also have AP-2 Targets!
They are a lot smaller then the AP-1 Targets but you get to shoot at half the distance (15ft vs 30ft). I am interested to see how they work out.

__________________The above is not legal advice. It is just something you read from some dude on the internet. It does not reflect the opinion of Calguns.net. If it seems rude it was probably meant to read sarcastically.